The Tarik Cohen situation will start to achieve clarity with Bears roster cuts.
The Bears most likely would put Cohen on injured reserve because they've continued to hold out hope he would be back from an ACL tear at some point this regular season and would want to activate him. The pandemic IR rules remain in effect this season, so there is no limit on the number of players who can come back off of IR, plus players can be on it for only three weeks.
For Cohen, it's been a horrible year already and he could do with some good news. First there was the ACL tear on a fair catch last season against Atlanta, then the tragic death of his brother by accidental electrocution and then a prolonged injury recovery from the knee.
Coach Matt Nagy at first tried putting a timeline on the recovery but it proved incorrect and now he's avoiding it. He's also avoiding any mention of details.
"It's, for him every single day he's coming in and working like I just said the time was when you all asked me a month ago about the time it's hard to say (when)," Nagy said. "I mean he's at a point right now where he's getting better every day.
"He's not where he needs to be right now. But he is improving and the only thing that we can do is keep grinding with that rehab. That's all he can do. He's unbelievable in the meetings. I mean he's the same as he's always been. Physically we've got to just keep taking it day by day and I'm not going to put a timeline on that."
During Cohen's rehab in minicamp, Cohen seemed to be walking a bit stiff-legged June 16.
"That's just a part of the recovery process and they're working through all of that," Nagy said at the time.
Nagy seemed completely taken by surprise on Monday when asked whether Cohen had required a second knee surgery and whether this has changed the timeline for his recovery. This is not an uncommon thing for an additional arthroscopic repair to take place when it comes to pain from scar tissue.
"I don't think it changes the timeline, I think for him一I gotta go back and find all the little scopes or surgeries that these guys have一but, for him I think he just got to a point where there was a little bit of, like, the scar tissue and just the healing and all of that," Nagy said. "It's where he's at right now. Alls I can appreciate from him is working, every single day he's done that."
The Bears appear in no stress on offense without Cohen. They were last year because he was a vital part of offense and special teams suddenly removed, and on offense they hadn't really supplied a capable backup beyond Cordarrelle Patterson, who really wasn't a running back.
This year they've prepared by bringing in a good pass-catching running back in Damien Williams, and drafting one they feel can contribute in several ways with Khalil Herbert. The punt return situation might be solved with Dazz Newsome, although nothing is guaranteed with rookies.
Either way, the Bears could benefit with a healthy Cohen. He was their leading pass catcher in 2018 and came within 54 yards of leading in receiving yards but when and if that is this season won't be known for an indefinite period.
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